


The Proposal

by javajunkie



Category: To All the Boys I've Loved Before Series - Jenny Han, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 08:38:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17505266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/javajunkie/pseuds/javajunkie
Summary: After an unconventional meeting on campus, Peter agrees to help Lara Jean woo Josh Sanderson.  College AU





	The Proposal

The autumn sun burned hot, the weather unseasonably warm for October, as evidenced by the sunbathing co-eds on the quad.  Lara Jean’s roommate, Chris, was one of them, no doubt turning just so to show off her better assets when something cute walked by.  Chris tried to get Lara Jean to join her earlier.  She pulled a frayed pair of jean shorts over her hips, reminding Lara Jean that one had to seize moments in life, and this perfect warm autumn afternoon was one such moment.

            “I have study group, remember?”  Lara Jean had reminded her.

            “Oh right, that useless hour when you pretend to not know things so Josh Sanderson can teach you?”

            “I don’t pretend to not know things.  It’s a study group.  We _study_ together and-”

            “Relax, LJ.  You wouldn’t be the first girl to try a little teach me tonight.  It’s not a bad angle.  I just wish you found someone more worthy to try it on.”

            “I don’t get why you dislike Josh so much. You’ve met him once.”

            Josh performed at a poetry slam and, to put it lightly, Chris was not impressed.

            “Believe me, that was enough.”

            Lara Jean had not taken that well, and Chris, naturally, launched into an explanation about how Lara Jean was such a vibrant person and she needed someone who vibrated at the same frequency as her, or some other new-age-nonsense.  Lara Jean didn’t know about vibrations, but she knew how she felt around Josh.  The tightening in her chest when he smiled toward her.  His hand brushing against hers on its way to pointing out a particularly moving stanza of a T.S. Elliot poem.

            Lara Jean’s thoughts were occupied by such scenes as she moved slowly through campus, not noticing the ruckus occurring in the quad until a naked body rushed past her.  Startled, she thought that she was seeing things until another passed, and another.  She stopped suddenly and turned around, yelping when a mess of tanned limbs collided with her own.  She stumbled backwards, blindly grabbing on to the side of a trash can to keep herself upright.  The boy hurriedly said, “Shit, I’m so sorry.  Are you okay?  You look okay.”

            “Yeah.  I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” 

Lara Jean looked down and immediately regretted it.  He quickly cupped his hands in front of himself. Neither seemed to know what to do or say, until a tall blonde raced past them and tossed over his shoulder, “Hope you like scrubbing shit off walls, Kavinsky!”

            “Fuck.” He took a bounding leap away from her, but then abruptly stopped, throwing her one last apology before launching off after the others.   She watched him sprint away.  College just kept surprising her.

 

* * *

 

 

_His soul stretched tight across the skies_

_That fade behind a city block,_

_Or trample by insistent feet_

_At four and five and six o’clock_

 

            Lara Jean loved hearing him read poetry.  He drummed his fingers lightly on his thigh when he read.  Almost in time to the cadence of his voice.

 

_And short square fingers stuffing pipes,_

_And evening newspapers, and eyes_

_Assured of certain certainties,_

_The conscience of a blackened street_

_Impatient to assume the world._

 

            She felt as if he was reading only to her. When he looked up and their eyes met, she felt as if her entire body burned from the inside.

           

_I am moved by fancies that are curled_

_Around these images, and cling;_

_The notion of some infinitely gentle infinitely suffering thing._

           

She wanted him.  She didn’t know if she ever wanted something more.

 

_Wipe your hands across your mother, and laugh;_

_The worlds revolve like ancient women_

_Gathering fuel in vacant lots._

            Josh placed the book in his lap and smiled contently.  “Isn’t T.S. Elliot’s work the greatest?  It’s so visceral.  His imagery cuts right to the core.  He goes there, you know?”

            Lara Jean nodded silently, not quite trusting her voice yet.  Beside her, their classmate, Heather, breathlessly returned, “Oh yeah, he goes there.”

            It seemed that Lara Jean wasn’t the only one affected by his reading.  

            Josh looked down at his watch and said, “Wow, it’s late.  We got a little carried away today, huh?”

            “It’s nice to work through the poems before we go through them as a class.”

            “Yeah, absolutely.  Anyway, I’ll see you guys Monday.”

            “See you Monday,” Lara Jean echoed, trying to ignore the way the tendons in his forearm danced as he wedged the book of poems into his messenger bag.  He gave them a wave and walked away, both women watching him walk away.

            “That guy is so fuckable.  It’s sort of ridiculous.”

            “What?”  Lara Jean stammered.

            “That was better than a sex dream.  Anyhoo, I’ll see you on Monday, Lara Jean.”

            “Yeah, Heather. See you then.”

            Heather walked out and Lara Jean went to follow her when she noticed a notebook on Josh’s chair.  It was a small blue moleskin that she remembered Josh carrying. She’d seen him scribbling in it attentively in the quad, seemingly oblivious to the activity around him. She wondered what was in there. Maybe poems.  Or drawings.  It wouldn’t be that bad to take a peak, right?  She slid one finger between the crisp pages, taking a deep breath before beginning to open the notebook.

            “Oh good, it’s here.”

            Lara Jean ripped her finger out of the pages and held it out to him.  Maybe he hadn’t seen that she was about to read it?  No, he definitely saw.  

            “I was afraid I lost it,” he said taking it from her.

            “I was going to bring it to you on Monday.”

            “Well, thank you in advance for the safe keeping.”

            “You’re welcome.”

            He started to leave but then turned back. “What are you doing tonight?”

            “Nothing,” she said immediately.  He smirked slightly and she said, “I promise I’m not as lame as that makes me sound.”

            He laughed.  “My buddy is having some people over off-campus.  You should come.”

            “That sounds like fun, thanks.”

            He flipped the notebook open to a blank page and quickly wrote something down before ripping the page out and handing it to her.

            “That’s the address.  Party starts at nine.”

 

* * *

 

 

            “I’m a little salty that it took Josh Sanderson to get you to a party, but you know, I’m not going to question an otherwise miracle.”

            Lara Jean looked over at Chris.  “Are you done now?”

            “Oh, there will be many more comments tonight. But for now, yes, I am done.  This place is amazing, by the way.  Whose place is this?”

            “His friend Daniel?  I haven’t met him.”

            “Lara Jean, you made it!”

            She turned at his voice and grinned wide, stomach knotting into about a million little knots as he threw an arm around her shoulders for a loose hug. 

            “You remember Chris, right?”

            “Yeah.  You were with Lara Jean at my poetry slam reading, right?”

            Chris nodded.  “Yeah.  Memorable night.  I think my favorite was the girl who talk-sang about her yeast infections. Really moving stuff.”

            Josh grinned placidly.  “Art comes in all forms.”

            “So, are there drinks somewhere?” 

            “In the kitchen.”

            “Great.  LJ, let’s go.”

            Chris marched off to the kitchen and Lara Jean told Josh, “Thanks again for inviting us.  We really appreciate it.”

            She went off after Chris and told her, “You could at least try to be nice to him.   He’s the reason we’re here.”

            “I can’t stand artsy types.”

            “You’re an artsy type.”

            Chris held up a hand and said, “No, LJ, I am a musician.  Very different.  As in I have a marketable skill.”

            “Okay, okay, can you just play nice for the night? I promise you can go back to judging him tomorrow.”

            Chris relented.  “I guess I can do that.”

            Chris poured them each a shot of vodka and they took them back, the liquid burning Lara Jean’s throat as it went down.  Her head buzzed pleasantly and continued as she poured herself a glass of wine.  Chris poured herself more vodka with a splash of soda.

            “Alright.  Let’s party our faces off, LJ.”

 

* * *

 

 

            Chris always made fun of Lara Jean for how quickly she fell for Josh, insisting that she would never fall so quickly and blindly. Then she met Daniel, party host for the evening.  Lara Jean watched them, their heads pressed close as they talked in a corner.  Her gaze travelled a few feet over to where Josh stood.  There was a woman with him.  She wasn’t close enough to hear the conversation, but she could tell by the particular angling of their bodies that it was not entirely platonic. 

            “You’re staring.”

            Lara Jean jumped with surprise, looking over at her new companion.  She recognized him immediately.  They met earlier that day near the quad.  Except this time, he was clothed.  His eyes narrowed slightly and he said, “Hold on, do I know you?”

            She had sort of assumed that he recognized her based on his approach, but apparently she was wrong.

            “We met earlier today,” she said leadingly.

            “Okay…”

            “You were wearing a lot less clothes.”

            His eyes widened.  “Yes.  You. Hello.”

            She smirked.  “Hello.”

            “I’m really sorry about that.  It was a stupid fraternity initiation thing.  I’m not normally naked.  Except at appropriate times.”

            “It’s okay.  Were you the last one back?”

            He winced.  “Yeah.  That wasn’t great.  But, I’m here now.  I’m Peter, by the way.  Peter Kavinsky.”

            “Nice to meet you, Peter.  I’m Lara Jean.”  Since he gave her his last name, she paused before adding, “Covey.  Lara Jean Covery.”

            “So, who’s the guy you’re staring at, Covey?”

            She looked over at him, a bit taken aback with his familiarity.  “I’m not staring at anyone.”

            “Yeah, you are.  And it’s a big stare.  A pining stare.  So, what’s the story?”

            “That’s a little personal considering we don’t know each other.”

            “You’ve seen my penis, Covey.  We’re not exactly strangers.”

            Lara Jean went to answer, but stopped when she noticed Josh watching them.  Peter followed her gaze.

            “Okay, I’m getting it now,” he said, redirecting her attention.  “You clearly are attracted to him.  I’m guessing it’s early but strong.  You don’t know how he feels.”

            “Are you done yet?”

            “No.  Based on the way he was looking over here, I don’t think he knows how he feels either. Because it’s early.   You two are just starting to know each other.  But, he’s obviously attracted to you.”

            “He is?”  Lara Jean asked immediately, unable to help herself.

            “Yeah, without a doubt.”

            “This is ridiculous,” Lara Jean said, shaking her head.  “I don’t know why I’m even talking to you about this.  You don’t know me.  You clearly don’t know Josh.”

            “He’s looking again.”

            Before she could respond, Peter took a hold of her face and pressed his mouth against hers.  She was too stunned to move, but before she needed to he pulled away and looked over at Josh.

            “Yeah.  He’s definitely into you.”

            Lara Jean stood stunned before him, still trying to sort out where his mouth had been, and why, and did he just say that Josh was into her?  As her senses returned, so did her ire, and she slapped him sound across the face.

            “Hey!  What the hell was that for?” he asked, rubbing his fingers against the stinging in his cheek.

            “You can’t just go around kissing people!”

            “I just helped you!”

            “If I wanted your help I would have _asked_ for it,” Lara Jean hissed.  “Look, do yourself a favor, and stay out of other people’s business.  Especially mine.”

            “Lara Jean-“

            “Have a nice life, Peter.”

            She stormed over to Chris and said, “I’m leaving.”

            “What?  Is everything okay?”

            “Yeah, I’m fine.  I’m just tired.”

            Chris exchanged a furtive glance with Daniel and asked, “Do you mind if I stay?”

            “No, you have fun.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

            Lara Jean pulled out her phone to call an Uber and walked out of the apartment, two sets of eyes watching her as she left.

 

* * *

 

 

            In the wake of the party, Lara Jean was surprised to find a text message from Josh.

 

_Thanks for coming out tonight._

_It was fun hanging out._

They had been strictly class and study group friends before this (save for the one poetry slam – but that was class sponsored), but it seemed that there was a change.  She was even more surprised when she received another text later that day.

 

_Have you read Jane Hirshfield?_

_I think you’d really enjoy her work._

            They started an easy and meandering conversation, talking about anything and everything.  She tried to tell herself that it was just the natural development of their friendship.  He had just invited her to a friend’s apartment, after all.  But she couldn’t help but wonder if part of it was due to Peter’s kiss.  She was going down this particular trail of thought in the library – her books untouched in front of her – when Peter sat across from her.

            “What are you doing here?” she asked.

            “I asked your roommate where you were.  She said I’d find you here.”

            “How do you know my roommate?”

            “I saw you talk to her at the party.”  He sighed at her suspicious look and said, “Look, not everything I do has bad intentions.  I’d actually argue that none of the things I do have bad intentions, but-

            “Peter,” she interrupted in a tight voice.  “What are you doing here?”

“I needed to talk to you.  I’m actually here to apologize.”

            “Apologize for what?”

            “I was thinking a lot about what you said Friday night and you’re right.  I shouldn’t have kissed you like that and I’m sorry.”

            She hadn’t expected an apology.  In fact, she pretty much expected to never speak to him again.

            “Thank you.  I appreciate you saying that.”

“Although, for the record, most girls I kiss don’t react the way you did.”

“I’m not most girls.”

Peter smirked.  “No.  You are definitely not.  Anyway, I really just wanted to say I’m sorry.  I’ll let you get back to your studying.”

He stood and she quickly said, “Wait.  Don’t go just yet.”

Lara Jean had a problem.  She wanted Josh.  There was the slight chance he wanted her too, but she was too afraid to ask him.  What if she was wrong?  She couldn’t handle the humiliation.  Last night, though, something had happened.  He saw that kiss and he texted her.  What could a second kiss do for her?

Peter sat back down and warily asked, “Are you about to yell at me more?”

“No, um, remember how I said if I wanted your help I would have asked for it?”  He raised his eyebrows.  “Consider this my ask." 


End file.
